Leakage waveguide line from which energy is continually leaked along the path followed by the leakage waveguide line

ABSTRACT

A leakage waveguide line in which a circular to rectangular converter is connected to the end of a circular leakage guide. A relay amplifier is connected to the rectangular waveguide, one end of which is connected to the converter. Most of the power in the output of the relay amplifier is transmitted to another circular leakage waveguide by a circuit comprising a phase shifter, a rectangular to circular converter and tapered tubes. The rectangular leakage waveguide is positioned to cover the two tapered tubes and the top portion of the relay amplifier.

United States Patent Nakahara et al. [451 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] LEAKAGE WAVEGUIDE LINE FROM [56] References Cited wHIcH ENERGY Is CONTINUALLY LEAKED ALONG THE PATH UNITED STATES PATENTS FOLLOWED BY THE LEAKAGE 2,617,885 11/1952 Cutler ..333/9 WAVEGUIDE LINE 3,126,517 3/1964 Miller .333/34 Inventors: Tsuneo Nakahara; Kenichi Yoshida,

both of Osaka, Japan Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.,

Osaka, Japan 7 Filed: Oct. 9, 1970 Appl. No.: 79,414

Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 9, 1969 Japan ..44/809l8 US. Cl. ..325/1, 246/30, 325/4,

325/5, 325/51 Int. Cl. ..H04b 7/20 Field of Search ..246/30, 190; 325]], 5, 14, 325/15, 18, 51, 4; 333/32-34, 9, 27, 95, 98; 340/47, 48; 343/767, 770, 771, 711, 862,

6 TERMINATOR 9 CONVERTERS Primary Examiner-Albert J. Mayer Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and Macpeak [57] ABSTRACT A leakage waveguide line in which a circular to rectangular converter is connected to the end of a cir- 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PHASE SHIFTER l7 l3 RELAY AMP PHASE SHIFTER CONNECTOR LEAKAGE WAVEGUIDE LINE FROM WHICH ENERGY IS CONTINUALLY LEAKED ALONG THE PATH FOLLOWED BY THE LEAKAGE WAVEGUIDE LINE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a leakage waveguide line in which a circular to rectangular converter is connected to the end of a circular leakage guide. A relay amplifier is connected to the rectangular waveguide, one end of which is connected to the converter. Most of the output of the relay is transmitted to another circular leakage waveguide by a circuit comprising a phase shifter, a rectangular to circular converter and tapered tubes. The remainder of the output of the relay amplifier is leaked from the rectangular leakage waveguide through the phase shifter. The rectangular leakage waveguide is positioned to cover the two tapered tubes and the top por tion of the relay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view showing a relay device of a conventional leakage waveguide line; and

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a relay device of a leakage waveguide according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a mobile body exemplary of the type with which the present invention may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a circular leakage waveguide line used in the mobile communication control system.

The circular leakage waveguide communication line using a TE mode is very effective as a low loss transmission line when used in the mobile communication control system. In prior art waveguides of this type, such as shown in FIG. 1, rectangular comers 4 and 5 are connected to the circular leakage waveguides 1 and 2 for inserting a relay amplifier 3 between the waveguides 1 and 2 to amplify and relay the transmission energy. Tapered tubes 6 and 7 are connected thereto forming thin waveguides 8 and 9. The relay amplifier 3 is connected between the two waveguides 8 and 9. The reason the rectangular corners are used in the line is to make the leakage portions as close as possible to each other so the coupling level is uniform at the antenna. However, because the circular leakage waveguides l and 2 are bent directly by the rectangular comers 4 and 5, a large amount of unnecessary mode is produced. It has been difficult to control the waveguide characteristic for reducing the unnecessary mode.

The waveguide line according to this invention will be explained more specifically by referring to FIG. 2. Circular leakage waveguides 1 and 2 transmit electromagnetic waves. A relay amplifier 3 is inserted between the two waveguides 1 and 2 and operated to amplify and relay the transmitted wave. A transmission/reception antenna is moved along the leakage waveguide to link the waveguide with the transmission/reception equipment. Tapered tubes 6 and 7 are connected to the ends of the waveguides 1 and 2 in the axial direction. A circular to rectangular converter 10 and a rectangular to circular converter 11 are connected to the ends of the tapered tubes 6 and 7 respectively. The circular to rectangular converter 10 is connected to the relay amplifier 3 via the rectangular waveguide 12. The transmitted energy is introduced 5 into the rectangular waveguide of basic mode TE transmission by the use of tapered tube and circular to rectangular converter, and a relay circuit system is formed for the basic mode. The output side of the relay amplifier 3 is connected to the rectangular to circular converter 11 by connector 13, phase shifter 14 and rectangular waveguide 15. A part of the connector 13 is connected to the rectangular leakage waveguide 18 by rectangular waveguide 16 and phase shifter 17. The length of the rectangular leakage waveguide must be long enough to cover the top portion of the relay device and the oppositely located tapered tube portion from which no wave is leaked. In practice, 2 to 3 meters will be a sufficient length for the rectangular waveguide and, hence, it is desirable for the leakage waveguide to have a large leakage. Power is leaked from the rectangular waveguide 18 and most part of power is supplied to the circular waveguide 2 located in the next section. Resistive terminator 19 is connected to a free end of the rectangular leakage waveguide 18. The phase shifters l4 and 17 are phase adjusting circuits for preventing the occurrence of instantaneous discontinuities in the receiving level at the antenna due to interference by the waves radiated from the leakage waveguides l, 18 and 2 of circular-rectangular-circular form.

The energy which is leaked from the system is leaked from waveguides 1, 18 and 2. As can be seen, the leaked energy is substantially continuous along the direction of arrow A. In prior art devices such as that iilustrated in FIG. 1, a discontinuity would exist in the leaked energy over the portion of the device between leakage waveguides l and 2. This discontinuity is eliminated by leakage waveguide 18 in the present invention. The use of tapered waveguides 6 and 7 suppress unnecessary modes which were created in prior art rectangular comer waveguides. The elimination of the comer waveguides is made possible by the use of leakage waveguide 18 which permits separation of leakage waveguides 1 and 2. The separation of waveguides 1 and 2 was not possible in the prior art due to the discontinuity in the leaked energy.

FIG. 3 illustrates a mobile vehicle with which the leakage waveguide may be used. Mobile vehicle 20 has an antenna 23 mounted thereon. Antenna 23 receives the signal which is leaked from leakage portions 1, 2

- and 18 of the leakage waveguide as the vehicle 20 moves along a path which follows the leakage waveguide. Antenna 23 is connected to a terminator 21 and a receiver 22. The signal which is leaked from the waveguide and received by antenna 23 and receiver 22 may be used to control the operation of vehicle 20.

According to this invention, the transmitted energy is converted by the tapered tube and circular to rectangular converter and then introduced into the basic mode TE transmission waveguide. The rectangular waveguide connected to the output side of the relay is used directly as the rectangular leakage waveguide. The oppositely located tapered tube and the top por tion of the relay device are covered with the rectangular leakage waveguide. As a result, production of the unnecessary mode is suppressed, and the transmission characteristics and antenna coupling characteristics are improved. Furthermore, the amount of leakage is uniformed over the whole length of the line and thus the antenna coupling characteristics can be maintained uniform at all times.

What is claimed is: 1. A leakage waveguide line for transmitting electromagnetic waves comprising:

said connector means, said rectangular leakage waveguide means positioned between said first and second circular waveguides to form a substantially continuous path over which energy is leaked, whereby said continuous path is formed by said first circular waveguide, said rectangular leakage waveguide and said second circular waveguide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connector means comprises a. a connector coupled to said relay amplifier means;

and

b. a first and second phase shifter each coupled to said connector,

wherein said second rectangular waveguide is coupled to said first phase shifter and said rectangular leakage waveguide means is coupled to said second phase shifter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second converter means comprise tapered circular to rectangular waveguide converters. 

1. A leakage waveguide line for transmitting electro-magnetic waves comprising: a. a first and second circular waveguide; b. a first rectangular waveguide; c. first converter means for coupling said first circular waveguide to said first rectangular waveguide; d. relay amplifier means coupled to said first converter means for amplifying said electromagnetic waves; e. a second rectangular waveguide; f. connector means for coupling said relay amplifier means to said second rectangular waveguide; g. second converter means for coupling said second rectangular waveguide to said second circular waveguide; and h. rectangular leakage waveguide means coupled to said connector means, said rectangular leakage waveguide means positioned between said first and second circular waveguides to form a substantially continuous path over which energy is leaked, whereby said continuous path is formed by said first circular waveguide, said rectangular leakage waveguide and said second circular waveguide.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connector means comprises a. a connector coupled to said relay amplifier means; and b. a first and second phase shifter each coupled to said connector, wherein said second rectangular waveguide is coupled to said first phase shifter and said rectangular leakage waveguide means is coupled to said second phase shifter.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second converter means comprise tapered circular to rectangular waveguide converters. 